Before Javon Walker travels any further down this treacherous holdout trail, he should take a closer look at the footsteps he is following.

Plenty of Packers have taken this route. Make that plenty of former Packers. While not all of the most notorious holdouts were shown the door, their star quality definitely took a tumble. Here's the trio atop my list of would-be fan favorites who decided to chomp down hard on the hand that feeds them: Tony Mandarich, Mike McKenzie, and the poster-boy of selfish contract stunts, Sterling Sharpe.
Talk about guilt by association. All three situations differed, all bringing their own brand of ridiculous behavior to the table.

Mandarich's high-profile rookie holdout isn't unusual, except for the fact that offensive linemen are made, not born. In the NFL's version of check-kiting, Mandarich took the hype to the bank without having the slightest idea if he could pay up against the big boys on the field. He couldn't. My lasting impression of Mandarich is seeing him carry Brent Fullwood's spare shoes from the lockerroom to the sidelines in what turned out to be one of his most productive moments at Lambeau.

The McKenzie mess is still fresh in our minds and doesn't need much rehashing. What's the rationale for a prima donna act when you're part of a pass defense that plummeted from a No. 3 ranking in 2002 to No. 23 in 2004? Let's not even talk about 4th-and-26. McKenzie also made it no secret that he opposed the hiring of Bob Slowik as defensive coordinator. In hindsight, McKenzie's opinion had validity, but refusing to give 100 percent because you don't like the "boss" is grade school stuff at best.

Then there's Sterling Sharpe. More than 10 years later, I have to admit that I still hold a grudge. Sharpe was undoubtedly the most talented of these three infamous holdouts, but also the most devious when it came to contract talks.

Already under contract to the young and improving Pack, Sharpe picked the eve of the 1994 regular season to make it known that he felt under appreciated. Sharpe, who was already refusing to speak to most Wisconsin media members, showed his true colors.

Happily, other key members of the organization showed their real characters as well. In stark contrast to Sharpe, Brett Favre and Mike Holmgren provided the voices of reason and reality. We didn't know them then nearly as well as we do now, and in retrospect it is certainly no surprise. Back in '94, a 24-year-old QB and a coach with just two seasons under his belt refused to mince words. Favre took his leading receiver to task for the stupid stunt while Holmgren held the line.

Sharpe was back in the fold by kickoff as the Packers beat the Vikings in the home opener. He caught a 14-yard pass from Favre for the first touchdown of the season. He finished as the team's leading receiver with 1,119 yards on 94 catches and 18 touchdowns, despite missing the final games of the season with what turned out to be a career-closing neck injury . While the numbers were piling up, his appeal was down. Sharpe had so distanced himself from the fans in Green Bay that the end of his career was quietly received. What a contrast to LeRoy Butler, who is still among fan favorites.

Walker, who already boasts some fairly fancy numbers of his own, may want to not that while Sharpe's amazing contributions will not be forgotten, neither will his disregard for the team and fans. Considering his name pops up in every receiving records category and is still atop a few of them, we don't see many Sharpe jerseys in the stands.

Favre's opinion now of a receiver's holdout is the same as it was then. Whom will Walker trust with his future? An NFL legend who has never caused the Packers one day of contract nonsense or an agent who is famous for villifying former fan favorites and who handled the McKenzie case with a distinct lack of grace? With two years left on his current contract, Walker best be thinking more of the game, the team and the fans and a little less of agent Drew Rosenhaus before another No. 84 jersey will be on the clearance rack.

Favre's opinion now of a receiver's holdout is the same as it was then. Whom will Walker trust with his future? An NFL legend who has never caused the Packers one day of contract nonsense or an agent who is famous for villifying former fan favorites and who handled the McKenzie case with a distinct lack of grace? With two years left on his current contract, Walker best be thinking more of the game, the team and the fans and a little less of agent Drew Rosenhaus before another No. 84 jersey will be on the clearance rack.

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Rosenhaus is a head case. I see it where I live, what he is doing to Terrel Owens, villifying is a great word choice, but doesn't even start to describe the 180 that fan opinion has turned against TO.

Last night on PTI, Rosenhuas was confident that Owens wouldn't lose popularity during his holdout. haha the way the philly fans treat their athletes when they don't like them, Owens might not want to play in Philly again.

Rosenhaus basically makes every new client sign a new contract, one that he approved, it's stupid, he's all talk, I see him backing down--I see Owens playing in Philly and Walker playing for the Packers this season--no delays

Do you really think it is his fault or do the "big egos" just choose and agent with and ego to match. I think these players want to holdout and this agent is one who lets them do it where as other agents might say go practice and stay on the teams good side while I negotiate.

JavonWalker084: Rosenhaus is not "doing" anything to Terrell Owens, unless he is practicing voodoo on him or something. Owens hired Rosenhaus, and can fire him anytime he wants to, and Javon Walker can do the same.

Some people do not have the willpower to make such decisions especially if their head is being filled with garbage.

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Your right about that rabid. And one person who has will power is Najeh. And Najeh's agent is Rosenhaus himself. Najeh even said he shouldnt hold out, theres no point to it when your a second string running back. And you usually wouldnt here something like this from someone with Rosenhaus as their agent. Which amazes me....

Some people do not have the willpower to make such decisions especially if their head is being filled with garbage.

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Your right about that rabid. And one person who has will power is Najeh. And Najeh's agent is Rosenhaus himself. Najeh even said he shouldnt hold out, theres no point to it when your a second string running back. And you usually wouldnt here something like this from someone with Rosenhaus as their agent. Which amazes me....

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Drew said Chad Johnson was severely underpaid...Chad said he is Drew's boss, not the other way around. he and he alone will make the call if he thinks it's neccesary.

if a player holds out it's because he decides to. i don't buy this bad influence blame-game. these are grown men we're talking about.

For the most part you are correct Arrow. But these are SEMI-grown men.
They are between 21-28 yrs old. Their whole life has been based on "football and what does it get for them".
They have no clue as to what the real world and real business is like. In the past if they didn't like what someone was telling them they could always find someone else who would say things that they like to hear.
In many ways they are more naive than an 8 yr old who was just offered candy by a stranger.
They should know better but they often don't.
I use to tell kids that between 21-25 you are still a "teenager". Maybe not chronologically but emotionally. There is very little difference in maturity between a 19 yr old and a 22 yr old. The real difference is the 22 yr old can do all the stuff that they wished they could do at 17-19 but were not allowed to do. So chances are they were more responsible at 17 or 19 than at 22-24.

For the most part you are correct Arrow. But these are SEMI-grown men.
They are between 21-28 yrs old. Their whole life has been based on "football and what does it get for them".
They have no clue as to what the real world and real business is like. In the past if they didn't like what someone was telling them they could always find someone else who would say things that they like to hear.
In many ways they are more naive than an 8 yr old who was just offered candy by a stranger.
They should know better but they often don't.
I use to tell kids that between 21-25 you are still a "teenager". Maybe not chronologically but emotionally. There is very little difference in maturity between a 19 yr old and a 22 yr old. The real difference is the 22 yr old can do all the stuff that they wished they could do at 17-19 but were not allowed to do. So chances are they were more responsible at 17 or 19 than at 22-24.

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gotcha..and i agree with pretty much everything you said.

but when somebody says something to the tune of "he's being selfish since he has Rosenhaus in his ear." , i just don't buy it. Walker is a 26 year old man, granted i'm 27 and i still do stupid stuff :wink:. But a decision of this magnitude requires some serious thought, and i think not holding him fully accountable is just like letting him off the hook.

if i could blame my awful decisions on somebodies bad influence less than a year ago...somebody should've told me!!! i would've been all over it :wink:

For the most part you are correct Arrow. But these are SEMI-grown men.
They are between 21-28 yrs old. Their whole life has been based on "football and what does it get for them".
They have no clue as to what the real world and real business is like. In the past if they didn't like what someone was telling them they could always find someone else who would say things that they like to hear.
In many ways they are more naive than an 8 yr old who was just offered candy by a stranger.
They should know better but they often don't.
I use to tell kids that between 21-25 you are still a "teenager". Maybe not chronologically but emotionally. There is very little difference in maturity between a 19 yr old and a 22 yr old. The real difference is the 22 yr old can do all the stuff that they wished they could do at 17-19 but were not allowed to do. So chances are they were more responsible at 17 or 19 than at 22-24.

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gotcha..and i agree with pretty much everything you said.

but when somebody says something to the tune of "he's being selfish since he has Rosenhaus in his ear." , i just don't buy it. Walker is a 26 year old man, granted i'm 27 and i still do stupid stuff :wink:. But a decision of this magnitude requires some serious thought, and i think not holding him fully accountable is just like letting him off the hook.

if i could blame my awful decisions on somebodies bad influence less than a year ago...somebody should've told me!!! i would've been all over it :wink:

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Apology accepted. :wink: :roll:

I do agree with what you are saying as well. I am for anything but giving JW a free pass in this matter. Thus my signature line. He is equally culpable (how's that for a big word? I learneded it from watching JAG too much.) or more so than Rosenhaus.

They had a small blurb in the Arizona paper on Friday saying how Rosenhaus came down here and talked to his client Anquan Boldin since he was in the neighborhood, but the main reason he came to Arizona was to really talk to Javon Walker.

It didn't say why or what was said. Maybe they needed to talk about a new strategy now that TT and Sherman have said t hey moved on without Walker

And to think, I still have my 84 WHITE team jersey (with my own name on it - I bought it during the turn of the Century - the Player with that number went to Detroit, remember?) - I've outgrown it a bit - but it's in pretty decent condition - my girl wears it these days...

I'm converting to Number 56 - Nick Barnett - they have the yellow jerseys out now... just in time for Pre-season. Woohoo!